THERE ARE ALWAYS unexpected things happening at the Intel Developer Forum. But on their own they’re not always newsworthy.

We don’t know who owns the shoes. But we know where he got his shoes. On the pavement.

Spotted just outside Annabelle’s, opposite the Marriott.

Worried about swine flu? Some people obviously were and so Intel provided a way of cleaning your hands before you went in.

Oh, and I’ve just been over to the Rose & Crown@North Parade. One of the regulars said: “Enjoy San Francisco?” I said yeah. He said: “It’s just that Ravi was there and the first bar he was in he spotted you at the other end.”

There was a big cardiovascular event going on in San Francisco – around 15,000 people attended. We guess Ravi was at that one, rather than the Intel gig. We’ll find out. [We found out, he was. The bar was the Marriott bar. He said: “You were with Intel”. Well, in a way, yeah.]

Oh, and a shot of part of our hotel room. Yes, we certainly live a wonderful life. ♥

THE PIC above is of the Beijing “nest” – the main stadium of the Beijing Olympics which are now thankfully done. As we were frying around the world, we missed some major crap sporting events, including Wimbledon and the Olympics. We also missed endless golf tournaments no doubt! So there is a god.

It was taken last year at the Intel Developer Forum as was. The area then was pretty boring, but we’re sure by now all the excitement is over one year later and now it is even more superlatively boring.

Kind but officious officals were keen that we took the right track to IDF. We preferred to take the wrong track, but were kindly sent to the right track. Outside our hotel, the manager came out because we were sitting on precious marble and said: “Sir, we cannot have our guests sitting outside, and enjoying the sunshine.”

It was ever thus. Who invented sport? Was it the English? If so, damn their poxy games called cricket and rounders and netball! Never mind croquet. And “football” (soccer) ♦

ON THE LAST day of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) we specially were interested to go see the Crank Ensemble, a performance art group. That’s because we’d get to meet Lena Strayhorn, a friend of ours, and one of the ensemble.

We were very interested in the music and we were also very interested in the reaction of the IDF delegates to the performance art. Some said to us, “only in San Francisco”, but we liked their stuff, met most of the ensemble, and liked all of them too.

TODAY IS Indian Independence Day, marked in most cities in India by formal celebrations.

But while the banks, the civil servants and the fortunate have the day off, and so a long weekend, life here in Bengaluru seems to be throbbing normally. A quick walk down 100 Feet Road demonstrated that this afternoon. And crossing the 100 Feet was as fraught as any normal day in India.

At the Examiner, the hacks have today off, so the site is being kept up to date by yours truly and the assorted stringers we have. I’m packing, ready to fry out to San Francisco for the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, so quaffing my last Haywards 5000 for about a week before I return to Bengaluru.

I’ll be close to 12 hours behind my Indian hacks next week, so will be dislocated in time, space and culture. I will also be competing to some extent against the previous two plaices – the INQUIRER and The Register. I am sure to meet Charlie Demerjian and some other old pals.

A FEW readers have emailed me to ask about the Intel logo in the banner picture which was above, but is now below. Who is wearing the chino, they asked.

The answer is that the trousers belong to Doctor Craig Barrett, the chairman of the Intel Corporation. He was demonstrating “Concept PCs” at an Intel Developer Forum in Palm Springs, some years back. The good doctor is actually sitting on a Concept PC, designed as a pouffe.

So now you have your answer. And no, we’re not running that picture of Andreas Stiller sitting next to a beautiful blonde while Mike Magee gazes from behind with a jealous look in his eyes. ♣